Synthesis gas, i.e., hydrogen (H2) and carbon oxide(s) (CO), can be converted to hydrocarbons in the presence of a variety of transition metal catalysts. Thus, certain Group VIII metals, particularly iron, cobalt, ruthenium, and nickel, are known to catalyze the conversion of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen, also referred to as syngas or synthesis gas, to hydrocarbons. Such metal catalysts are commonly called Fischer-Tropsch catalysts. While the use of nickel preferentially produces methane upon conversion of syngas; the use of iron, cobalt, and ruthenium tends to produce hydrocarbon mixtures consisting of hydrocarbons having a larger carbon number than methane. In the Fischer-Tropsch reaction synthesis gas is reacted in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst to give a hydrocarbon mixture having a relatively broad molecular weight distribution. This product comprises predominantly straight chain saturated hydrocarbons that typically have a chain length of more than 5 carbon atoms. The reaction is highly exothermic and therefore heat removal is one of the primary constraints of all Fischer-Tropsch processes. Whilst most of Fischer-Tropsch reaction developments and knowledge have been made in the field of gas phase reactors, there is a clear tendency in the industry to concentrate now on slurry reactors which are more prone to solve the above heat removal constraints.
There remains a need for additional catalysts and methods to producing such catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch processes.